Method for determining an analtye in a bodily fluid

ABSTRACT

A method for determining (e.g., detecting and/or measuring the concentration of) an analyte in a bodily fluid sample includes obtaining a bodily fluid sample, applying the bodily fluid sample to an analyte test strip, transferring the applied bodily fluid sample to a sample-receiving chamber of the analyte test strip, and determining an analyte in the bodily fluid sample. The analyte test strip employed in the method includes a first port in fluidic communication with the sample-receiving chamber and proximate a platform portion of the analyte test strip. Moreover, the platform portion is configured to receive a first (relatively large) bodily fluid sample of at least 5 micro-liters and transfer at least a portion of the first bodily fluid sample to the sample-receiving chamber via the first port. The analyte test strip also includes a second port in fluidic communication with the sample-receiving chamber and an outer edge of the analyte test strip, the second port configured to receive a second (relatively small) bodily fluid sample of lesser volume than the first bodily fluid sample and for transferring at least a portion of the second bodily fluid sample to sample-receiving chamber. In addition, the applying step involves applying the bodily fluid sample to one of the second port and the platform portion of the analyte test strip depending on the volume of the bodily fluid sample.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Analyte determination, for example analyte detection and/orconcentration measurement, in bodily fluid samples (e.g., a whole bloodsample) is of increasing importance in today's society. Assays foranalyte determination find use in a variety of settings, includingclinical laboratories and homes. The results of such assays (alsoreferred to as “tests”) play a prominent role in the diagnosis andmanagement of a variety of medical conditions. Analytes of medicalinterest include, for example, glucose and cholesterol. In response tothe importance of analyte determination, a variety of analyte detectionprotocols and devices for both clinical and home use have becomecommercially available.

One type of analyte detection device is an analyte test strip thatemploys an electrochemical-based method to detect and/or measure theconcentration of an analyte, such as glucose, in a bodily fluid sample(e.g., a whole blood sample). During such an electrochemical-basedmethod, a bodily fluid sample is placed into a sample-receiving chamberof an analytical test strip that includes two electrodes, e.g., acounter electrode and working electrode. The analyte is allowed to reactwith a redox reagent within the sample-receiving chamber to form anoxidizable (or reducible) substance in an amount corresponding to theanalyte's concentration. The quantity of the oxidizable (or reducible)substance present is then measured electrochemically and related to theamount of analyte present in the initial bodily fluid sample. Suchconventional analyte test strips are described in, for example, U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,708,247; 5,951,836; 6,241,862; and 6,284,125; each of whichis hereby incorporated in full.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate presently preferred embodimentsof the invention, and, together with the descriptions herein, serve toexplain features of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified, exploded, perspective view of an analyte teststrip according to an embodiment of the present invention, whereinbroken lines indicate alignment of various components;

FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view of the analyte test strip ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-section view of a portion of the analytetest strip of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a simplified bottom plan view of the analytes test strip ofFIG. 1 with dashed lines depicting selected features hidden from view inthe perspective of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a simplified top plan view of the analyte test strip of FIG. 1with dashed lines depicting selected features hidden from view in theperspective of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a simplified top plan view of an analyte test strip accordingto another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a simplified, exploded, perspective view and asimplified perspective view respectively, of an analyte test stripaccording to yet another embodiment of the present invention, whereinthe broken lines of FIG. 7A indicate alignment of various components;

FIG. 8 is simplified top plan view of the analyte test strip of FIG. 7Awith dashed lines depicting selected features hidden from view in thetop plan view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram depicting stages of a method for manufacturingan analyte test strip according to an embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram depicting stages of a method for determiningan analyte in a bodily fluid sample according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description should be read with reference to thedrawings, in which like numbers indicate like elements. The drawings,which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected exemplaryembodiments for the purpose of explanation only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the invention. The detailed description illustratesby way of example, not by way of limitation, the principles of theinvention. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the artto make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments,adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention,including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying outthe invention.

As used herein, the terms “about” or “approximately” for any numericalvalues or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allowsthe part, or collection of components, or method to function for itsintended purpose as described herein. In addition, as used herein, theterms “patient”, “host” and “subject” refer to any human or animalsubject and are not intended to limit the systems or methods to humanuse, although use of the subject invention in a human patient representsa preferred embodiment.

Analyte test strip for accepting diverse bodily fluid sample volumes anddetermining an analyte according to embodiments of the present inventionpossess a variety of benefits. For example, the analyte test strips canbe employed both in an institutional setting (e.g., a hospital orclinic) where bodily fluid sample volumes are large (e.g., greater than5 microliters, and typically greater than 25 microliters) and in homesettings where bodily fluid samples are small (for example, less than 5micro-liters and frequently less than 1 microliter). Moreover,embodiments of the present invention also provide visual guidance forthe application of large bodily fluid samples and/or a configurationthat contains excess bodily fluid sample. Such containment of excessbodily fluid sample is beneficial in terms of avoiding bodily fluidcontamination of associated equipment (e.g., a meter) and personnel.

Embodiments of the present invention are suitable for use in thedetermination of a wide variety of analytes in a broad variety of bodilyfluid samples, and are particularly suited for use in the determinationof analytes in whole blood, plasma, serum, interstitial fluid, orderivatives thereof, where an analyte of particular interest is glucose.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, an analyte test strip 100 for acceptingdiverse bodily fluid sample volumes and determining an analyte thereinincludes a first insulating layer 102 (with first conductive layer 103disposed thereon), a second insulating layer 104 (with second conductivelayer 105 disposed thereon) disposed above first insulating layer 102and a third insulating layer 106 disposed at least partially below firstinsulating layer 102.

Third insulating layer 106 includes a platform portion 108 that extendsbeyond first insulating layer 102 and second insulating layer 104.Platform portion 108 has an upper surface 110 configured to receive abodily fluid sample of at least 5 microliters in volume and, preferably,greater than 25 microliters in volume. Such relatively large volumes aretypically employed in institutional settings. Third insulating layer 106also has a handle portion 112 that extends beyond first insulating layer102 and second insulating layer 104 and is disposed proximally ofplatform portion 108.

Analyte test strip 100 also includes a patterned spacer layer 114sandwiched between first insulating layer 102 and the second insulatinglayer 104. Patterned spacer layer 114 serves to define a channel 116between first insulating layer 102 and second insulating layer 104.Moreover, as depicted clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sample-receivingchamber 118 of analyte test strip 100 is formed by two interior edges ofpatterned spacer layer 114 and a capillary space between firstconductive layer 103 (with reagent layer 132 thereon) and secondconductive layer 105. In addition, channel 116 has a first port 120proximate to platform portion 108 and a second port 122 at a first outerlateral edge 124 of analyte test strip 100. It should be noted thatfirst port 120 and second port 122 are in fluidic communication withsample-receiving chamber 118. In addition to first outer lateral edge124, analyte test strip 100 also has a distal end 126, a proximal end128, and a second lateral edge 130.

Once apprised of the present disclosure, one skilled in the art willrecognize that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 3, sample-receivingchamber 118 and channel 116 are essentially the same feature. However,one of skill in the art will also recognize that sample-receivingchamber 118 can also be a sub-portion of channel 116 depending on theshape and disposition of first and second conductive layers 103 and 105,respectively.

Upper surface 110 of platform portion 108 is configured to receive afirst bodily fluid sample of at least 5 micro-liters (not shown in theFIGs.) and transfer at least a portion of that first bodily fluid sampleto sample-receiving chamber 118 via first port 120. In addition, secondport 122 is configured to receive a second bodily fluid sample (also notshown in the FIGs.) of lesser volume than the first bodily fluid sampleand for transferring at least a portion of the second bodily fluidsample to sample-receiving chamber 118. Analyte test strip 100 alsoincludes a reagent layer 132, as depicted in FIG. 1.

Once apprised of the present disclosure, one skilled in the art willrecognize that the configuration of analyte test strip 100 beneficiallyprovides for analyte determination in either of a first bodily fluidsample of relatively large volume (i.e., greater than 5 microliters andpreferably greater than 25 microliters) or a second bodily fluid sampleof smaller volume (such as less than 5 microliters or preferably lessthan 1 microliter). Hence, analyte test strips according to embodimentsof the present invention can beneficially accommodate disparate bodilyfluid sample volumes and be used in both institutional settings forlarge bodily fluid sample volumes and home settings for relatively smallbodily fluid sample volumes.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, first conductive layer 103 is coated oninner surface 134 of first insulating layer 102. Second conductive layer105 is coated on inner surface 136 of second insulating layer 104. Thefirst and second conductive layers (103 and 105) serve to form a firstelectrode 138 and a second electrode 140 (see FIG. 3), respectively,bordering sample-receiving chamber 118. First conductive layer 103 alsoforms first connection track 142 and first contact pads 144, whilesecond conductive layer 105 forms second connection track 145 and secondcontact pad 146.

First insulating layer 102 and second insulating layer 104 can beformed, for example, of a plastic (e.g., PET, PETG, polyimide,polycarbonate, polystyrene), silicon, ceramic, or glass material. Forexample, the first and second insulating layers can be formed from a 7mil polyester substrate.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, first electrode 138, along with secondelectrode 140, are configured to electrochemically determine analyteconcentration in a bodily fluid sample (such as glucose in a whole bloodsample) using any suitable electrochemical-based technique known to oneskilled in the art. First connection track 142 is a portion of firstconductive layer 103 that electrically connects first electrode 138 tofirst contact pads 144. First contact pads 144 are configured tooperatively connect to an associated meter. Second contact pad 146 isalso configured to operatively connect to the associated meter.

Although FIG. 1 depicts only one electrode formed in each of the firstand second conductive layers (103 and 105), one skilled in the art wouldrecognize that more than one electrode could be formed from suchconductive layers using, for example, an etching or patterned depositiontechnique. In an alternative embodiment, the first and second electrodescan be configured in a co-planar arrangement.

If desired, first conductive layer 103 and/or second conductive layer105 can be coated with a solution containing 2-mercaptoethane sulfonicacid (MESA) and then dried. One purpose of such a MESA coating is tomake the first and/or second conductive layer (103 and/or 105)hydrophilic and also to protect the first and/or second conductivelayers (103 and/or 105) from being fouled by inadvertent organiccompounds in the ambient air. Such a hydrophilic surface can also bebeneficial in causing a bodily fluid sample to fill the sample-receivingchamber.

The first and second conductive layers, 103 and 105 respectively, can beformed of any suitable conductive material such as, for example, gold,palladium, carbon, silver, platinum, tin oxide, iridium, indium, orcombinations thereof (e.g., indium doped tin oxide). Moreover, anysuitable technique can be employed to form the first and secondconductive layers including, for example, sputtering, evaporation,electro-less plating, screen-printing, contact printing, or gravureprinting. For example, first conductive layer 103 can be a sputteredpalladium layer and second conductive layer 105 can be a sputtered goldlayer. The thickness of the first and second conductive layers can be,for example, about 10 nanometers or greater, and preferably range fromabout 10 nanometers to about 80 nanometers.

Patterned spacer layer 114 serves to bind together first insulatinglayer 102 (with first conductive layer 103 thereon) and secondinsulating layer 104 (with second conductive layer 105 thereon), asillustrated in FIGS. 1-5. Patterned spacer layer 114 can be, forexample, a double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive layer, a heatactivated adhesive layer, or a thermo-setting adhesive plastic layer. Inan embodiment, patterned spacer layer 114 is a double-sidedcyano-acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive coated on opposing sides of apolyester sheet. In another embodiment, patterned spacer layer 114 is athermoplastic sheet such as, for example Vitel, which is a linearsaturated co-polyester resin having a relatively high molecular weight.The thermoplastic may be laminated at 70° C. to bind the two layerstogether.

Patterned spacer layer 114 can have, for example, a thickness in therange of from about 1 micron to about 500 microns, preferably betweenabout 10 microns and about 400 microns, and more preferably betweenabout 40 microns and about 200 microns. Note, that the thickness ofpatterned spacer layer 114 defines a capillary-dimensioned distancebetween first electrode 138 and second electrode 140 (see FIG. 3 inparticular).

Channel 116 can have, for example, an area of ranging from about 0.01cm² to about 0.2 cm², preferably about 0.02 cm² to about 0.15 cm², andmore preferably about 0.03 cm² to about 0.08 cm². In an exemplaryembodiment, channel 116 can have a width W of about 1.2 millimeters anda length L of about 3.5 millimeters, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Reagent layer 132 can be any suitable mixture of reagents thatselectively react with an analyte such as, for example glucose, in abodily fluid sample to form an electroactive species, which can then bequantitatively measured at an electrode of analyte test strips accordingto embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, reagent layer 132can include at least a mediator and an enzyme. Examples of suitablemediators include ferricyanide, ferrocene, ferrocene derivatives, osmiumbipyridyl complexes, and quinone derivatives. Examples of suitableenzymes include glucose oxidase, glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) using apyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) co-factor, GDH using a nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide (NAD) co-factor, and GDH using a flavin adeninedinucleotide (FAD) co-factor.

Reagent layer 132 can be manufactured by, for example, dispensing asuitable reagent formulation onto a first electrode and/or secondelectrode of analyte test strip 100. After dispensing the reagentformulation, a drying process can be used to remove water from thereagent formulation, thereby forming reagent layer 132. An exemplaryembodiment of a reagent formulation can include 33 mM potassiumcitraconate, pH 6.8, 0.033% Pluronic P103, 0.017% Pltironic F87, 0.85 nMCaCl₂, 30 mM sucrose, 286 μM PQQ, 15 mg/mL GDH, and 0.6 M ferricyanide.Pluronics are a block copolymers based on ethylene oxide and propyleneoxide, which can function as antifoaming agents and/or wetting agents.An exemplary embodiment for printing a reagent formulation is adispensing process from the end of a 13 gauge needle poised about 150 μmabove a conductive layer.

In one embodiment, reagent layer 132 may have an area larger than thearea of first electrode 138. As a result, a portion of patterned spacerlayer 114 can overlap and be in contact with reagent layer 132.Therefore, patterned spacer layer 114 can be configured to form a liquidimpermeable seal to first electrode 138 even though a portion of reagentlayer 132 is between patterned spacer layer 114 and first electrode 138.For example, patterned spacer layer 114 may intermingle with orpartially y dissolve a portion of reagent layer 132 to thereby form aliquid impermeable bond to first electrode 138 sufficient to define anoperational electrode area.

Based on the area of channel 116 and the patterned spacer layer 114thickness that was previously described above, the volume of thesample-receiving chamber 118 can range from about 0.1 microliters to 5microliters, preferably about 0.2 microliters to about 3 microliters,and more preferably about 0.3 microliters to about 1 microliter.

Platform portion 108 and handle portion 112 provides a beneficialincrease in handleability. Handleability refers to the ability of a userto generally manipulate an analyte test strip, which includes removing atest strip from a container, inserting the test strip into an associatedmeter, and removing a used analyte test strip from the test meterwithout the user being contaminated with bodily fluid.

Platform portion 108 can have, for example, an area that is greater thanor equal to about 4 mm², and preferably greater than or equal to about56 mm². Platform portion 108 may extend outwardly from first port 120for a distance of greater than or equal to about 2 mm, and preferablygreater than or equal to about 7 mm.

In one embodiment of an analyte test strip according to the presentinvention, an upper surface of a platform portion is configured to beless hydrophilic than a sample-receiving chamber of the analyte teststrip such that capillary forces will cause filling of thesample-receiving chamber via a channel. Once the sample-receivingchamber is filled with a portion of a first bodily fluid sample, anexcess amount of the first bodily fluid sample may remain on theplatform portion.

A relatively large volume of bodily fluid is generally available when abodily fluid sample is collected (e.g., withdrawn) at a hospital, clinicor other institutional setting. For example, blood can be withdrawnusing a syringe through a venous puncture, or obtained through a venousor arterial catheter. In this situation, blood may be deposited on ananalytical test strip by expressing a relatively large drop of blood atan end of hypodermic needle, a syringe or a pipette. It should be notedthat when using a syringe or pipette, it is difficult to express arelatively small drop of blood, where a small volume may be, forexample, about twenty microliters or less, and preferably about fivemicroliters or less. Typical syringes or pipettes in a hospital settingare not designed to dispense such a small volume. Further, typicalsyringes or pipettes do not easily create a hanging drop that can beguided to a port on an edge of an analytical test strip. Thus, whenusing a syringe, pipette tip or other device that can only generaterelatively large bodily fluid drops, an analyte test strip that can bedosed from above onto a platform portion (such as analyte test strip100) makes the dosing process easier and decreases the likelihood ofspilling bodily fluid onto a counter-top, floor or user. Moreover, insome circumstances a user may desire to apply a control solution to ananalytical test strip. Conventional control solutions are stored incontainers with dispensing tips that result in relatively large drops ofcontrol solution. Such relatively large drops of control solution can bedifficult to apply to a port on an edge of an analytical test strip butcan be easily applied to the platform portion of analytical test stripsaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

In contrast to the hospital setting, bodily fluid samples of relativelysmall volume are generally available in a home setting. For example,blood can be withdrawn using a lancing device that pricks a user'sfingertip or alternative target site (e.g., forearm, palm or thigh). Arelatively small droplet of blood can then be expressed from the user'sskin layer. When using a fingertip, a user can create a hanging drop andmove the fingertip to apply the hanging drop as a second (small) bodilyfluid sample to an analyte test strip. When using an alternative sitesuch as a forearm, a user typically moves the test strip inserted in orother wise attached to an associated meter to the expressed bloodsample. Applicants have discovered that small volumes of bodily fluidare easily applied to a port located on an edge of an analytical teststrip (such as the second port illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5). In such anembodiment, blood expressed from a finger can be placed contiguous tothe second port to fill a sample-receiving chamber. In such a use, thesecond port acts as an inlet port for the liquid to ingress and thefirst port can act as a vent/outlet port for air to egress.

Because a user may need to test, or be tested, in either aninstitutional setting (e.g., a hospital) or home setting, analyticaltest strips according to embodiments of the present invention arebeneficially versatile due to a configuration that provides for the useof disparate (diverse) bodily fluid sample volumes.

Referring to FIG. 6, an analyte test strip 200 for accepting diversebodily fluid sample volumes and determining an analyte therein isdepicted. Analyte test strip 200 is identical to analyte test strip 100of FIGS. 1-5 except for the addition of two additional features (i.e., anotch and two bodily fluid absorbent pads) that are described below.Therefore, many elements of analyte test strip 200 are numbered usinglike numbering from FIGS. 1-5 and for simplicity will not be describedfurther here.

Analyte test strip 200 includes a platform portion 108 with a notch 202formed therein and two bodily fluid absorbent pads 204 disposed thereon(see FIG. 6). Bodily fluid absorbent pads 204 are configured to absorband retain excess amounts of a first (large) bodily fluid (not shown)that has been received on platform portion 108 but not transferred to asample-receiving chamber of analyte test strip 200. A beneficialfunction of the bodily fluid absorbent pads 204 is to reduce anylikelihood of transferring bodily fluid to a user or other inadvertentlocation during use of analyte test strip 200. The purpose of notch 202is the provision of general visual guidance to a user in regards towhere the user is to dose a bodily fluid sample of relatively largevolume on analyte test strip 200.

Referring to FIGS. 7A, 7B and 8, an analyte test strip 300 for acceptingdiverse bodily fluid sample volumes and determining an analyte thereinaccording to another embodiment of the present invention is depicted.Analyte test strip 300 is essentially similar to analyte test strip 100of FIGS. 1-5 except for (i) the absence of handle portion 112 and (ii)analyte test strip 300 is configured such that second port 122 is at ana proximal end outer edge of analyte test strip 300 (described furtherbelow). Therefore, elements of analyte test strip 300 are numbered usinglike numbers from FIGS. 1-5 and for simplicity such like elements arenot be described further.

As noted above, second port 122 of analyte test strip 300 is positionedat a proximal end outer edge 399 of analyte test strip 300. Positioningsecond port 122 at a proximal end outer edge of the analyte test stripis beneficial with respect to providing a readily locatable port forusers that are dosing the analyte test strip with a bodily fluid sampleexpressed from a target site such as the user's fingertip. In otherwords, it is hypothesized, without being bound, that some user's mayfind it easier to locate a second port positioned on a proximal endouter edge of the analytical test strip than to find a second portpositioned on a lateral edge of the analytical test strip.

Although FIGS. 1-8 depict an analyte test strip configured forelectrochemical-based analyte determination, once apprised of thepresent disclosure one skilled in the art will recognize that analytetest strips according to embodiments of the present invention can alsobe configured for analyte determination via colorimetric techniques orany other suitable analyte determination technique.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram depicting stages of a method 400 formanufacturing an analyte test strip according to an embodiment of thepresent invention including. Method 400 can be employed, for example, tomanufacture the analyte test strips described above with respect toFIGS. 1-5, 6, 7A, 7B and 8.

Method 400 includes, at step 410, positioning a patterned spacer layerbetween a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer. Step 410is accomplished such that the second insulating is disposed above thefirst insulating layer and the patterned spacer layer defines a channelbetween the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.Moreover, the channel has a sample-receiving chamber therein, a firstport and a second port.

Method 400 also includes coupling a third insulating layer to the firstinsulating layer such that the third insulating layer is disposed atleast partially below the first insulating layer, as set forth in step420.

In method 400, the third insulating layer includes a platform portionthat extends beyond the first and second insulating layers and has anupper surface proximate to the first port. Moreover, (i) the first portand the second port are in fluidic communication with thesample-receiving chamber, (ii) the upper surface of the platform portionis configured to receive a first bodily fluid sample of at least 5micro-liters and for filling the sample-receiving chamber with apportionof the first bodily fluid sample, and (iii) the second port isconfigured to receive a second bodily fluid sample of lesser volume thanthe first bodily fluid sample and for filling the sample-receivingchamber with a portion of the second bodily fluid sample.

Once apprised of the present disclosure, one skilled in the art willrecognize that method 400 can be readily modified to include steps thatresult in the manufacturing of analyte test strips with any of thebeneficial features and characteristics described herein with respect toanalyte test strips of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram depicting stages of a method 500 fordetermining an analyte (such as glucose) in a bodily fluid sample (forexample, a whole blood sample) according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. In regard to method 500, the term “determining” refers todetection and/or concentration measurement.

Method 500 includes obtaining a bodily fluid sample such as, forexample, a whole blood sample, as set forth in step 510. The bodilyfluid sample can be obtained using any suitable technique known to oneof skill in the art including, in particular, those described hereinwith respect to institutional and home settings.

Subsequently, the bodily fluid sample is applied to an analyte teststrip (see step 520). Once apprised of the present disclosure, oneskilled in the art will recognize that the bodily fluid sample can beapplied, for example, to an analytical test strip according toembodiments of the present invention including those described abovewith respect to FIGS. 1-5, 6, 7A, 7B and 8. The applying step involvesapplying the bodily fluid sample to one of a second port and a platformportion of the analyte test strip depending on the volume of the bodilyfluid sample.

At step 530, the applied bodily fluid sample is transferred to asample-receiving chamber of the analyte test strip. Then, at step 540,an analyte in the bodily fluid sample is determined using, for example,an electrochemical-based technique.

In general, the analyte test strip employed in method 500 includes afirst port in fluidic communication with the sample-receiving chamberand proximate a platform portion of the analyte test strip. Moreover,the platform portion is configured to receive a first bodily fluidsample of at least 5 micro-liters and transfer at least a portion of thefirst bodily fluid sample to the sample-receiving chamber via the firstport. The analyte test strip also includes the aforementioned secondport in fluidic communication with the sample-receiving chamber and anouter edge of the analyte test strip, the second port configured toreceive a second bodily fluid sample of lesser volume than the firstbodily fluid sample and for transferring at least a portion of thesecond bodily fluid sample to sample-receiving chamber.

Once apprised of the present disclosure, one skilled in the art willrecognize that the first bodily fluid sample can be considered arelatively “large” sample and the second bodily fluid sample arelatively “small” sample. Moreover, one skilled in the art will alsorecognize that a user will apply either a first (large) bodily fluidsample or a second (small) bodily fluid sample, but will not apply botha first and a second bodily fluid sample to the same analytical teststrip.

Method 500 can be readily modified by one skilled in the art toincorporate any of the techniques, benefits and characteristics ofanalyte test strips according to embodiments of the present inventionand described herein.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatsuch embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the invention. Various alternatives tothe embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed inpracticing the invention. It is intended that the following claimsdefine the scope of the invention and that methods and structures withinthe scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

1. A method for determining an analyte in a bodily fluid sample, themethod comprising: obtaining a bodily fluid sample; applying the bodilyfluid sample to an analyte test strip; transferring the applied bodilyfluid sample to a sample-receiving chamber of the analyte test strip;and determining an analyte in the bodily fluid sample, wherein theanalyte test strip includes: a first port in fluidic communication withthe sample-receiving chamber and proximate a platform portion of theanalyte test strip, the platform portion configured to receive a firstbodily fluid sample of at least 5 micro-liters and transfer at least aportion of the first bodily fluid sample to the sample-receiving chambervia the first port; and a second port in fluidic communication with thesample-receiving chamber and an outer edge of the analyte test strip,the second port configured to receive a second bodily fluid sample oflesser volume than the first bodily fluid sample and for transferring atleast a portion of the second bodily fluid sample to sample-receivingchamber, wherein the applying step involves applying the bodily fluidsample to one of the second port and the platform portion of the analytetest strip depending on the volume of the bodily fluid sample.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the bodily fluid sample is a whole bloodsample and the analyte is glucose.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein theplatform portion is configured to receive a bodily fluid sample of atleast 25 microliters and the second port is configured to receive abodily fluid sample of less than 5 microliters.
 4. The method of claim 1wherein the obtaining step includes obtaining a bodily fluid sample withone of a syringe, pipette and hypodermic needle.
 5. The method of claim1 wherein the obtaining step includes obtaining a bodily fluid sample byexpressing the bodily fluid sample from a user's finger.
 6. The methodof claim 1 wherein the applying step is aided by visual guidance of anotch in the platform portion.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein thesecond port is on a lateral edge of the analyte test strip.
 8. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the second port is on a proximal end edge ofthe analyte test strip.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein a usermanipulates the analyte test strip by a handle of the analyte test stripduring the applying and determining steps.
 10. The method of claim 1wherein the determining step employs a first electrode and a secondelectrode of the analyte test strip to conduct an electrochemical-baseddetermination of the analyte.